Thursday, May 29, 2008

I think I'm either sick (again/still?) or having a weird allergy symptom.

I've never really felt well since the sore throat last month, but have treated the lingering cough and occasionally congestion as seasonal allergy, since this seems to be the year for it. Felt pretty well at Egils, slept splendidly and deeply, albeit with very weird dreams.

But when I came home to Acorn Cottage, I had a massive sneezing attack, that went on long enough that my chest muscles were sore. And decided that taking Benedryl was better than remaining an itchy pile of goo. Sleepy or itchy (more of the not-dwarfs). didn't think much of it, went to sleep, and the next day felt better, except now I have Something Wrong. I wheeze whenever I take a deep breath, and I know that isn't good

I've been wheezing for the last two days. Not coughing, I don't feel sick, but I remember when I had pneumonia in my thirties, I walked around and continued working for several weeks before a friend noticed that I was actually ill. And after the last useless and expensive doctor visit, I am loath to try again...

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

I am so happy that the weather changed. Unlike many, I love it when the sky is grey and it is damp and cool; I have been this way my whole life. (I remember not liking to go out in the bright summer sun when I was young, probably 'cos no one gets perscription sunglasses for children.)

Happy - happy. I talked with my artist friend who is going to make the sink , and he likes my design, and is still interested in working with me on this project. Also suggested some possible ways to un-chrome the faucet... which would make it be better friends with the eventual copper sink with forged iron brackets. I really like the shape and design of the salvaged faucet that I found, but the shiney chrome, not so much...would like nice black-bronze maybe...

The back yard is mowed. With the heat, it had gotten over a foot high, I hate mowing anyhow, someday will all be garden beds and nice woodchip pathways. Someday.

During the brief rain yesterday, I managed to disconnect one of my downspouts and direct the water into the new 55 gallon barrel that was a kindly gift last week. So I now have somewhat more than 100 gallons, evven if i haven't yet set up any proper plumbing for them, i can still use the trusty shake-siphon to access the water.

Well, off to pack for Egils. Finally was able to get Smokey-rabies-paperwork faxed down here from Olympia...

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Yesterday the thermometer on my front porch, in the shade, was between ninety-five and ninety-six. This unseasonably warm weather has had me running about the yard, using salvaged greywater to keep my young trees from wilting permanently. I have a five gallon bucket with a tiny hole drilled low on one side, which acts as a portable drip irrigator, and I move it from the persimmon to the apples and around again.

Before Bill left to go back to Olympia, he helped me get more air into my bicycle tires; apparently the green "slime", which came in the tires with the bike, makes it harder to pump air in. And he showed me how to remove the rear fender, which was dragging on the back tire. So now the bike is much easier to ride; I celebrated by taking the recycling away and making a circle round to New Seasons for groceries.

As I continue to clear and organize the workroom, the central space is definitely big enough for a four person worktable. Eventually, all the myriad boxes of art and craft supplies and tools will be sorted…

Have finally come up with a design I like for the future copper bathroom sink, a modified oriental cloud shape. Now to send the sketch off to see if this is feasible and find out how much copper is needed, for a sink approximately 10 x 14 inches.

Today I rode the number 75 bus all the way to the end of the line, to go and check out the farmers market in Milwaukee. Much larger than the local one near my neighborhood, and I was able to get a lovely bunch of young organic baby beets. The local farmers market has no organic veggies at all. But I think that New Seasons still has better prices. And I've never seen elk meat for sale at a farmers market anywhere. Next time I'm bringing my little picnic lunchbox with some ice...

Friday, May 16, 2008

Hopefully , this will become the kitchen herb garden, just a few steps beyond the front walkway. For the last few days I've been gradually turning the broken brick bits into the edge of a new planter in my front yard. Though there are not enough bricks to complete the circle, I've had a few folk say that they have some extra old bricks in their yards, so I can finish the design. I had initially thought about one of the "permaculture herb spirals", but already had the star magnolia in the center, and don't want to transplant it. For now the circular planter will get lots of sun, and in future years, when the tree gets big enough to shade the planter, I can create another herb garden, and use this planter for happy shade things, like lettuces...

For the last several months I've been trying to get brave enough to talk to my neighbor about the overhanging young-but-sickly birch tree in his yard. It was not giving him any shade, but if it grew up, it would totally shade my garden. Yesterday when I went out to feed the hens, the birch tree was gone. I am going next door, the next time neighbor and girlfriend are home, with a gift of eggses and some homemade jam in thanks.... Now hopefully he won't plant something like a dawn redwood instead!

Monday, May 12, 2008

Yesterday I started assembling? the herb planting area, which is made using the little broken brick pieces that Sif gave me, stacked to make a circular planter around the star magnolia near the driveway. Got about not quite a third of the circle done, and put in the lovage, and the winter savory. I hope that I have enough brick fragments to do the whole circle.

Today Chance came over to help me with the bathroom vent fan. The fan is now attached to the ceiling, and only a bit of the sheetrock needed to be removed, which is good. When the project is done, the ceiling can be patched, and anyway one of the projects for the summer is to paint the bathroom. The difficulty is that the fan wiring up in the attic is apparently totally weird; despite numerous efforts, the fan does not communicate with the wall switch. (so it is currently not hooked up at all) The best we came up with so far was to have the fan always on, which seems wasteful, even if the new fan is an EnergyStar. Chance is going to go home and look in the BIG 'lectricity book, and see if he can figure it out. The project is still farther along now than I could do alone, and hopefully will be resolved in the next few days. If need be I can try and get in touch with my Norse electrician friend, but that will take longer...

Have got the gown for Rafny finished, just needs hem binding and hemline trim applied. The trim is lovely, and about four inches wide so application will be interesting...

I just wish that there were more hours in the day, and that I didn't get so tired so quickly

Friday, May 9, 2008

I've been thinking really seriously about how best to put these workshops together, and would like some feedback from you, my potential students.

Acorn Cottage is small, so can only accommodate maybe four students per workshop, which is good, as allows more student-teacher time, as needed. Am thinking about having workshops be for a weekend, with a Friday evening overview and design lecture/discussion and "social" time, so that the studio time Saturday and Sunday can be utilised fully.

Could start workshops in June...

Pricing - the workshop will be more than Ithra cost, but less than the school up in Seattle where I teach, I'm thinking around $150 to $180, but materials would be included...

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

This morning when I went to look at my website, to check some information, it was missing, and there is someone elses crap at my address! I am not happy. I've sent an email to my web host, apparently someone has stolen my bandwidth. Not a nice thing to do! Sometimes it is just one damnthing after another...

On the good side, just to balance things out, Bill came down from Oly with two new tools for me to borrow. The small wet-grinder, and the cutest little wee tumbler for mass finishing, complete with steel shot, it looks like it holds about a pint.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Am still feeling under the weather, which makes everyday life and home improvement move at a snails pace...

still needing much more sleep than usual for me, and still have a sore throat/nose thing not right, (bleah!). Slowly getting Acorn Cottage put back together and very slowly tidied. Bit by bit getting baby garden plants in the ground. My Norse jewelry has decided to hide somewhere in the house, I hope I find it before Egils, and I hope I can find, or get a copy of the vet paperwork for Smokey's rabies vaccination. Have figured out what size and sone level of vent fan needed, now must begin the hunt for, de-installation and re-installation for the bathroom

I keep reminding myself that while I can't do everything, I have accomplished a lot, and am continuing to do so, with little more than determination and a modest amount of knowledge, and helpful friends

Friday, May 2, 2008

I am getting better, slowly. Yay! can get through the night without major coughing attacks...

Yesterday saw the acquisition of four more 55 gallon plastic barrels, to become part of the water-harvesting scene. Once I get them scrubbed, and can find the time for dealing with the plumbing of said raincatching devices. I took pictures of a clever rainbarrel setup I saw in Sellwood, that shouldn't bee too difficult to create. Need to get some concrete blocks to raise the level of the barrels. Yeah yeah, just one thing after another...

Speaking of which, the dang bathroom fan just quit working. And those of you who have been to Acorn Cottage know that the bathroom has no window, so the fan is IT for ventilation. (at least for now, Someday I shall rip out the plastic shower surround, and put back in a window where the window was originally, and put real tile on the wall...) but now I need to read up my fixit book about testing the wall switch, and the fan, and probably will end up needing to replace the dratted thing. Slow and careful, as always,